Bauchi State House of Assembly Speaker Removed Following Court of Appeal Ruling
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ousted Abubakar Suleiman, the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, from his position representing the Ningi Central Constituency in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The recent judgment delivered by the appellate court on Friday mandates a rerun in 10 polling units within the constituency.
Abubakar Suleiman, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the former Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, initially claimed victory with 16,866 votes in the election held on March 18th.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s Returning Officer, Professor Shuaibu Muhammad, officially declared Suleiman the winner, defeating his closest rival, Khalid Abdulmalik-Ningi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured 15,065 votes.
Danlami Bara’u, the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, received 4,886 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, Abdulmalik-Ningi contested the election results, taking the matter to the Tribunal.
The initial decision by the Tribunal favoured Suleiman, prompting Abdulmalik-Ningi to escalate the case to the Court of Appeal.
The three-member panel of the appellate court reviewed the case and overturned the Tribunal’s ruling, leading to the removal of Speaker Abubakar Suleiman from his position.
The court ordered a rerun in 10 specific polling units within the constituency, signaling a significant turn of events in the electoral dispute.
In response to the court’s decision, Abubakar Suleiman characterized the ruling as a minor setback in his political journey. He expressed readiness for the rerun election, demonstrating determination to solidify his lead and reaffirm his standing in the constituency.
Source: PM News
